Chapter 12

Dialogue Element

Writing good dialogue is hard, but formatting it is easy. Dialogue, which is
always mixed case, single-spaced, typically runs margin to margin and follows
the character name on the next line. A blank line follows between the dialogue
and the next character's name. A formatting program will do the spacing and
margin adjusting automatically for you.

COWGIRL
The hamburger is ten feet tall.
COWBOY
It's not there.
COWGIRL
I know, but it's dripping fat, and it's sizzling. It's on a sesame bun, and you
can just see some onion sticking out. There's a dab of ketchup on the onion.
Maybe it popped out from under the bun. It's winking at me.

Sometimes stage directions interrupt dialogue, but each adheres to its own
formatting rules. See below.

COWGIRL
Piece in your teeth.
(She puts the finger with the fragment of the mystery
meat into her mouth. She instantly spits it out.)
Ugh! Why'd you tell me it was beef?

If a character's dialogue is interrupted by a page break, and continues onto
the next page, you repeat the character name set-up on the next page with the
(cont'd) remark after the name. This is what formatting software was made
for!

LADY SHAKESPEARE
And he fed the dog! Yeah, the dog ... I don't know ... No ... That population's
on the ups every day, and we're gonna' get buried in garbage else ... That's why
he's feedin' the dog ...

At the top of the next page:

LADY SHAKESPEARE (cont'd)
Don't tell me different. No, no, no ...
(She sees Ben.)
There's little trash babies, all kinds, eatin' their lunch out of a garbage
pail. I just know the Trash Man's comin'. Who thrown their babies to the
garbage?

When a character walks offstage while speaking either notate this as part of
the stage directions, or alongside the character name if the character is
already offstage. You may write either "Offstage" or "Off."

BAXTER
Yeah. Sure.
(Baxter exits to the kitchen. Off)
We mostly talk sports when he calls, 'cause he's into that. Talk a little
wrestling, a little football - he's a linebacker. Not a real good team - I snuck
over to see a game once. They're small. Josh is real fast. If they had some
other real fast kids they might be good. But now football's almost over and it's
time for wrestling.

When one character interrupts another, use double dashes (--) or an em dash
(a long dash) to show that the speaker is being cut off. Below, I make use of an
em dash. No need to write "interrupts."

HUGO
If my Dad said we're moving just like that -
CHARLIE
You'd move. Hold this cone
(holds out the ice cream cone)
a sec?

Using ellipses ( ... ) does not signify that a character has been
interrupted, but rather that she hesitates or trails off of her own accord. For
example, in Shining Sea, Pac can't bring himself to ask a
question:

Occasionally, the actor's emphasis on a particular word may be so important
that you want to write that direction into the script. While there is no
ironclad rule for this practice, italicizing the word to be emphasized works
best (underlining or capitalizing the word is both confusing and cramping). To
use italics successfully, do not overuse them. Below is an example:

Sometimes characters speak at the same time. The rule of thumb is to divide
your page into two columns, placing the character names within their individual
columns. Indent any stage directions 1" instead of 2".

FLYER MAN
Only diamonds do the trick. Only diamonds do it. Say it with me: only diamonds
do it. Say it.
FLYER MANBEN
Only diamonds do it. Only diamonds do it.

Writing Tip: Make sure to punctuate
very carefully. Through careful punctuation, and not by giving them line readings, is how you tell the director and
the actor how your characters speak. A comma means something different than a
period. Ellipses mean something different than an em dash. A period and a
question mark make big differences in an actor's inflection. Control the rhythm
of your play through the punctuation.